Inside the Phillies with MLB.com beat writer Todd Zolecki

No-No Offense

“The lineup we’ve got on the field tonight is our lineup. If that lineup doesn’t hit then we’re in trouble.” — Charlie Manuel.

A few things about last night’s 3-0 loss to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, where Hiroki Kuroda carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning:

The Phillies have been no-hit through four innings in four of their last seven games. “It seems like we go through five innings real quick,” Manuel said. “Nothing happens.”

They have been no-hit through five innings or longer four times this season.

They have lost seven of their last 12 games. That rough stretch can be pinned almost entirely on the offense. The Phillies have hit just .184 and scored just 28 runs (2.3 per game) since Aug. 18. The pitching staff has a sparkling 2.62 ERA in that span.

They have been shut out 11 times this season. That’s the most since they suffered 11 shutout losses in 1998.

They have been one-hit three times.

Reds pitcher Travis Wood lost a perfect game in the ninth inning July 10 at Citizens Bank Park, Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka lost a no-hitter in the eighth inning May 23 at the Bank and Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey lost a no-hitter in the sixth inning Aug. 14.

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Roy Halladay had no frustration in his voice, but it sure sounded like things are getting frustrating for Phillies pitchers.

“It’s one of those things we’ve been going through,” he said. “I think going out you definitely feel like we need to do a good job of keeping the game close as a starter. I think the (Rod) Barajas run, at that point in the game the way (Kuroda) was throwing, it seemed to be a little too much. Yes, it’s something we’re going through as a team. Hopefully, we can get things going a little bit.”

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The Zo Zone is on Facebook and Twitter. My Phillies book “The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly” is available online, and at Delaware Valley bookstores!

The no-hit wonders were at it again last night, but the other wild card pretenders kept pace. Watch out for the Rockies, who are on their annual late season streak. Thursday’s makeup game is getting bigger by the day.

Congradulations JA Happ – a complete game, 2 hit shutout of the Cards. He helps the Phillies even though he has been traded more than some players who haven’t. Putting aside the money issue, I believe if the Astros had their choice of Happ or Hamels in the Oswalt trade, they still would have taken Happ and I would have done so as well.

You’re still on this Happ/Hamels thing? Get over it. The Cardinals are playing even worse than the Phillies right now and have lost their last four series to bottom feeders. Maybe the next time the Astros are in town Hamels can show Happ his NLCS and WS MVP trophies. Hamels is in another league.
The only reason the Astros would prefer Happ over Hamels is because they control his contracts for the next 4-5 years. That’s the way of MLB in the 21st century.

phan52 …..If you could read , you will notice I indicated taking the money and control factors out of it. In other words, pure talent. You always twist things to what you want them to be so you can beat your chest and apply your statistical analysis. But nary a word is heard from you when I disspell your b-u-l-l-s-h-i-t, absolutism, certainty and what not. Happ has never faltered since he has been a starter other than a bad outting here and there. I was almost ready to give Junior credit for obtaining Oswalt but as it turns out, the Phillies with Happ would have been just fine and the Phillies need for offense could have been addressed. I sorry, phan52, you are just low hanging fruit.

Thank goodness pherrisphain is not the Phillies GM. Hamels has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last 3 months and Happ at best will be a #3. The Phillies are not working the count. They waited till the 8th inning to start working the count. If you watch the beginning of the season when they were healthy, their offense was potent because they worked the pitcher and had the starter out by the 5th. Kuroda had 65 pitches into the 6th. Too many 1st & 2nd pitch outs.

I love this “Hamels has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last three months”. What about the first two months he clocked in to go to work? They don’t count? At best, Happ will be a number 3? Isn’t the point that he is better than the Phillies current #3? What’s his name? Oh, yes, Hamels. And, probably just as good as the Phillies current #2? You know, that guy Oswalt. So much for your expertise cuntley26.

cutley26, don’t sweat pherris. He is a majority of one, and isn’t adverse to telling you. And he should be reported to the blog for his childish alteration of your name. But I digress and won’t go down that path with children. There is not one MLB GM who would trade Hamels straight up for Happ. And now he thinks Happ’s the equal of Oswalt. Sometimes I think pherris has long-term memory loss and just goes day to day with his scattered baseball discharge.
…low hanging fruit, indeed…

It pains me to ask this, but can anyone come up with some stats for the Phils offense pre- and post-BinoGate? This team looks lost at the plate right now. At least they have the best 3 starting pitchers this franchise has EVER had at one time. (Feel free to correct me, but I went back a ways and believe this to be true.) If they can get into the playoffs, Cole & the Roys give me a lot of confidence.

Good thing you guys aren’t stranded in the mtns. together. I have a Pheeling than some Phans might be munching on each other. Don’t worry, I am sure you guys might be able to squeak out a wild card if you pick it up a bit.

Pherris said: “Happ has never faltered since he has been a starter other than a bad outting [sic] here and there.” (corrected your spellingWhat does falter mean in your world, if it doesn’t mean “a bad outing?” Who needs statistical analysis when you talk yourself in circles? You have a lot of nerve busting me for harping on pitch counts. You have your own soap box here too, silly though it may be.

There is NO indication that the Braves will fold like the Mets did in ’07 and ’08. They are now seriously going after the Padres’ long held-lead as the NL team with the best record. The NL team with the best record gets homefield advantage all the way to the WS. If the Braves finish at the top of the NL, they will be very hard to stop all the way through the WSC.

The Braves are a force at home. And frankly, I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why. Last night I watched their game against the Mutts, and I was shocked to see that the stadium was practically empty. There couldn’t have been more than 10,000 people in that stadium. Yet J-Hey lit the Mets up and the Braves went on to score 9 runs in a stadium that generated less noise and excitement than a typical high school graduation ceremony. The Braves cannot be generating all their success because of the extra adrenaline they get from their fans. Maybe “Billreef” can explain it to me. It’s a phenomenom that looks like God is picking sides……

muleman…..How about Hamels going in the tank for an entire season or a few months? Can you grasp my distinction now? I am glad your GED course taught you about spelling such that you obviate the need for a spell checker on this site. But your not exactly the posture boy for critical thinking. Maybe that will be covered in GED 1.1. You think?

Eric, even I can’t explain how we are doing what we are doing, it absolutely defies logic on a nightly basis. I suspect it’s something called “team” which always exceeds it’s capability and is an amzing thing to be a part of. Only way I can rationalize what has been happening in ATL.

jimphelps …….Come on, “posture” was a crumb for muleman. He has to keep his skills sharp and we want to make him think he actually contributes something here. And, it may surprise you to learn that “obviate” is a real Talking about reordering the GED course.

jimphelps …….Come on, “posture” was a crumb for muleman. He has to keep his skills sharp and we want to make him think he actually contributes something here. And, it may surprise you to learn that “obviate” is a real word. Talking about reordering the GED course.

Bar Rump Bump. Yes, obviate is a word and a Posture Child might be a common Philadelphia sight, but I just wanted to stop in and congratulate the Fills on their win tonight. I am rooting for them to win the wild card because I am a National League East boy, right behind being a Braves fan. I mean god forbid that the Yankees squeak one out against the Rays and wind up with their unctuous fans playing us for the whole enchilada. I mean those guys are worse than Filly Fans, and that’s saying something.

billybobreefer…Yeah, right, your rooting for the Phillies under any circumstance? But I will admit that the Braves are not doing too shabby of a job with the residue of MLB. What I really appreciate is their stellar defense.

Atlanta fans are a ‘part of it’? LOL!! If that is the case why don’t you…like…go to a game?
A half empty stadum for a first place team. What a joke. There were more Phillies phans at Dodger Stadium last night. Whatever the Braves are doing it certainly has nothing to do with the fans.

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